ANDREW  p.  PEABODY,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


a  Mtmoix. 


By  EDWARD    j.  YOUNG. 


l/CSB   LIBRARY 


With  the  regards  of 

The  Author. 


i>i  -' 


ol^ 


ANDREW  P.  PEABODY,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


a  jHemoin 


By  EDWARD  J.  YOUNG. 


^rqiarrt  for  tfjt  fHassnrijusctts  ^l^tstorfcal  Socictg. 


CAMBRIDGE: 
JOHN     WILSON     AND     SON. 

Sanibtrsttg  i3rrss. 
.  1896. 


M  E  M  O  I  K. 


Andrew  Preston  Peabody  was  boni  in  Beverly,  Massa- 
chusetts, March  19,  1811,  and  his  birthplace  is  marked  by  a 
substantial  brick  edifice,  on  which  are  inscribed  the  words 
"  Peabody  Building."  He  was  a  descendant  of  Lieutenant 
Francis  Peabody  of  St.  Albans,  England,  who  came  to  this 
country  in  the  ship  "  Planter  "  in  1635,  and  from  whom  George 
Peabody  the  philanthropist  was  also  descended.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  Middleton,  and  intended  to  prepare  himself 
for  the  ministry;  but  his  health  failed,  and  he  became  a 
teacher,  and  for  many  years  kept  the  public  school  in  Bev- 
erly. His  mother,  who  was  a  woman  of  singular  sweetness, 
belonged  to  a  highly  esteemed  family  in  Essex  County,  being 
a  sister  of  Hon.  Robert  Rantoul,  Sr.,  of  Beverly.  The  father 
died  when  the  child  was  very  young ;  and  among  his  last 
words  charged  his  wife  that  she  would  carry  out  the  wish  which 
he  had  always  cherished,  that  their  only  son  might  be  edu- 
cated for  the  profession  which  lie  had  chosen  for  himself,  but 
had  been  obliged  to  abandon.  This  solemn  injunction,  being 
often  repeated  in  pi-esence  of  the  lad,  made  a  lasting  impres- 
sion on  his  mind ;  and  after  he  grew  up,  he  said  that  the 
truths  of  religion  which  he  cherished  were  inseparable  in  his 
thought  from  a  Christian  mother's  teaching  and  from  the 
dying  benediction  of  a  sainted  father.     Thus,  like  the  prophet 


Samuel,  from  his  earliest  years  he  was  dedicated  to  the 
Lord. 

He  was  able  to  read  when  he  was  three  years  old,  and  he 
learned  his  letters  from  a  book  which  inadvertently  was  placed 
before  him  upside  down,  so  that  it  was  always  a  matter  of 
indifference  to  him  how  a  book  was  put  before  his  eyes.  On 
one  occasion,  when  he  was  liding  in  a  stage-coach,  and  was 
turning  the  leaves  of  a  volume  printed  in  German  characters, 
one  of  the  passengers  remarked  that  this  young  man  pretended 
to  have  a  knowledge  of  German,  but  he  could  know  nothing 
about  it,  for  he  was  holding  his  book  upside  down.  The 
ancient  languages  he  could  read  in  the  same  manner;  and 
when  a  pupil  stood  before  him  with  a  copy  of  Homer  or 
Virgil,  he  could  from  his  seat  overlook  the  top  of  the  page 
and  follow  the  lesson  as  readily  as  if  he  had  the  copy  in  his 
own  hand.  For  a  considerable  time  he  preferred  this  way  of 
reading;  but  when  he  saw  that  it  attracted  attention,  he  dis- 
continued it,  although  he  retained  his  power  of  so  doing  as 
long  as  he  lived. 

Many  instances  are  related  of  his  wonderful  memory.  When 
he  was  seven  years  of  age,  the  members  of  his  class  in  Sunday- 
school  were  requested  to  begin  the  Bible  and  learn  as  much 
as  they  could.  On  being  called  upon,  he  recited  sentence 
after  sentence,  and  occupied  the  time  until  it  was  necessary 
to  close  the  school.  As  he  had  not  finished,  inquiry  was  made 
by  the  superintendent,  when  it  was  found  that  Andrew  had 
committed  to  memory  the  whole  of  the  first  chapter  of  Gen- 
esis and  a  large  part  of  the  book  besides.  Even  when  he  was 
quite  small,  he  manifested  an  original  and  bright  mind.  To 
the  question,  "  Which  would  make  the  better  fire,  —  a  fool 
or  a  philosopher?"  he  answered,  using  a  word  which  was 
remarkable  for  so  young  a  boy,  "I  think  an  intermediate 
person  would  succeed  best."  The  following  letters,  addressed 
to  his  cousin   Robert-  Rantoul,  Jr.,  who  was  then  at  Phillips 


Andover  Academy,  and  afterwards  became  a  distinguished 
member  of  Congress,  were  written  when  Andrew  was  nine  and 
eleven  years  old  :  — 

Beverly,  March  13,  1820. 

Dear  Cousin,  —  I  write  this  letter,  that  I  may  receive  an  answer; 
therefore  I  hope  that  you  will  answer  it  at  the  first  opportunity.  I 
hope  before  many  years  have  passed  that  I  shall  be  at  the  Academy. 
1  have  now  under  my  care  a  class  in  Colburn's  Arithmetic.  I  take 
them  into  the  library-room  in  the  afternoon,  and  seat  them  at  the  round 
table,  wherefore  I  style  them  "knights  of  the  round  table."  I  am  per- 
fectly satisfied  that  Colburn's  Arithmetic  is  founded  on  an  excellent 
plan,  and  that  it  will  be  of  great  use  in  instructing  those  who  know 
nothing  of  arithmetic.  I  am  now  reading  a  book  called  "Struggles 
through  Life."     It  is  a  very  entertaining  book.  .  .  . 

Beverly,  October  6,  1822. 

Dear  Cousin,  —  As  Saturday  afternoon  is  the  only  leisure  time  I 
have,  I  take  this  time  to  write  to  you.  I  am  writing  exercises  from 
Dana's  "Latin  Tutor."  I  began  Virgil  yesterday.  I  never,  since  I 
was  five  years  old,  studied  so  much  or  read  so  little  as  I  do  now.  I 
used  to  think,  if  I  endured  the  fatigue  of  a  noisy  school,  that  I  studied 
a  great  deal ;  but  now  I  have  the  pleasure  of  study  unmixed  with  its 
fatigue.  A  few  days  ago  I  came  very  near  making  an  Irish  blunder. 
In  construing  Selecta  I  came  to  a  passage  in  which  was  the  word  opis, 
a  bee.  I  was  about  to  construe  it  an  ape,  but  recollecting  that  I  had 
read  of  a  little  girl  who,  hearing  the  word  apiary,  thought  it  meant  a 
collection  of  apes,  I  immediately  changed  my  opinion,  and  construed  it 
a  bee.  In  my  Greek  grammar  I  have  gone  as  far  as  the  end  of  verbs 
in  fjit.     Of  all  my  studies  I  like  the  ''  Latin  Tutor  "  best. 

From  childhood  Andrew  Peabody  had  an  intense  thirst  for 
knowledge,  and  extraordinary  readiness  in  acquiring  it.  He 
was  a  persistent  reader  of  books,  many  of  which  were  far 
beyond  his  years.  On  those  afternoons  when  there  was  no 
school  he  used  to  visit  a  lady  who  taught  him  botan}^  so  that 
he  was  able  to  apply  the  Linnsean  system.  From  her  he 
learned  also  French,  which  he  became  able  to  read  as  fluently 
as  Englisii ;  and  he  made  a  beginning  in  German  literature,  so 


6 

that  he  was  one  of  those  wlio  formed  the  first  class  in  German 
at  Harvard  College.  At  school,  in  addition  to  the  required 
studies,  he  took  up  geometry  and  trigonometry,  verified  all 
the  problems  contained  in  Bowditch's  "  Navigator,"  and  mas- 
tered the  paradigms  in  the  Greek  grammar,  though  he  was 
only  ten  years  of  age.  He  cared  little  for  outdoor  sports 
in  which  other  boys  engaged,  but  books  were  the  joy  of 
his  life.  He  read  Maria  Edgeworth's  stories,  Hume's  History 
of  England,  Mosheim's  Ecclesiastical  History,  Rollin's  Ancient 
History ;  the  novels  of  Walter  Scott,  which  deepened  the 
impressions  derived  from  Hume ;  Mungo  Park's  Travels  in 
Africa  ;  and  Paradise  Lost,  Lycidas,  as  well  as  some  of  Mil- 
ton's sonnets  and  smaller  pieces.  But  biography  was  his 
favorite  reading.  Speaking,  a  few  years  ago,  of  books  which 
had  helped  him,  he  said  :  "  Whatever  is  to  be  said  or  sung  to 
me,  of  wit  or  wisdom,  in  prose  or  verse,  I  want  to  see  the  man 
who  says  or  sings  it.  As  for  sermons,  while  I  delight  in  hear- 
ing them  because  I  have  the  preacher  and  the  sermon  together, 
I  read  fewer  of  them  than  I  publish.  But  the  lives  of  saintly 
men  and  women,  high  and  low,  great  and  humble,  of  mission- 
aries, philanthropists,  reformers,  I  can  read  without  weariness 
and  with  uninterrupted  enjoyment.  As  regards  the  more  solid 
reading  of  maturer  years,  I  have  always  been  the  most  strongly 
drawn  to,  and  have  derived  the  greatest  benefit  from,  authors 
whose  position  or  opinion  differed  the  most  widely  from  my 
own.  This  has  been  especially  the  case  in  theology  and  moral 
philosophy,  the  departments  peculiarly  belonging  to  me  equally 
by  choice  and  b}'^  profession." 

He  was  fitted  for  college  by  Bernard  Whitman,  who  was 
then  studjdng  theology  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Abiel  Abbot,  and 
who  afterwards  became  minister  of  the  Second  Religious 
Society  in  Waltham.  So  faithfully  did  he  apply  himself 
to  his  preparatory  course  that  at  the  age  of  twelve  he 
was  admitted  to  college  without  conditions  ;   and  he  accom- 


plished   much   other   work,   as    appears   from   the   following 
certificate  :  — 

Andrew  Peabody  has  committed  to  memory  — 

1st.  Mason  on  Self- Knowledge. 

2d.  Ist  part  Geneva  Catechism. 

3rd.  11  chapters  in  Evidences  of  Christianity, 

and  has  recited  27  sections  in  Grotius  de  veritate  Chris.  Rel. 

Absent  none. 

Attest :   Bernard  Whitman- 
Beverly,  Oct.,  1823. 

Being  considered  too  immature  to  join  his  class,  he  continued 
under  th.e  instruction  of  his  former  teacher ;  and  he  was  so 
diligent  and  persevering  that  at  the  end  of  six  months  he 
passed  an  examination  in  the  requirements  of  the  Freshman 
year,  and  at  the  following  Commencement  in  those  of  the 
Sophomore  year,  and  at  thirteen  was  matriculated  as  a  Junior. 
During  the  period  of  study  under  Mr.  Whitman  he  worked 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  hours  a  day,  and  took  no  vacation,  and 
seldom  had  an  hour  for  play  or  recreation.  This  excessive 
labor  might  have  been  followed  by  very  serious  consequences  ; 
but  happily  its  result  was  that  it  developed  a  capacity  for 
unintermitted  strenuous  exertion,  which  was  of  inestimable 
value  in  after  life.  In  1826  he  graduated  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen, being  the  youngest  member  of  his  class,  and  with  one 
exception  (Paul  Dudley),  the  youngest  individual  who  ever 
received  a  degree  from  Harvard  College.^  Among  his  class- 
mates were  Richard  Hildreth,  George  W.  Hosmer,  Edward 
Jarvis,  Cazneau  Palfrey,  George  Putnam,  Robert  Rantoul,  Jr., 
Oliver  Stearns,  J.  Thomas  Stevenson,  and  Samuel  H.  Walley, 
—  all  of  them  well  known,  and  some  of  them  celebrated  in 
this  community. 

For  three  years  after  leaving   college  he  was  engaged  in 
teaching.     He  took  charge  of  a  district  school  in  Middleton  ; 

1  Sibley's  Harvard  Graduates,  vol.  iii.  p.  6,  note. 


8 

was  private  tutor  in  the  family  of  Mi\  H.  J.  Huidekoper, 
in  Meadville,  Pennsylvania ;  and  then  was  principal  of  the 
Academy  in  Portsnioutli.  Having  no  qualifications  for  the 
management  of  boys,  he  naturally  passed  through  some  try- 
ing experiences  ;  and  subsequently,  when  he  was  asked  by  one 
of  his  Portsmouth  parishioners,  how  he  had  enjoyed  being  a 
schoolmaster,  he  replied  that  he  had  enjoyed  his  vacations. 
In  1829  he  entered  the  Divinity  School  at  Cambridge,  where 
he  spent  three  years,  during  which  he  was  proctor  in  the 
College,  and  instructor  in  Hebiew  to  those  Seniors  who  chose 
that  language  as  an  elective.  In  1832  he  was  tutor  in 
mathematics,  of  which  he  was  always  fond,  and  of  which 
he  has  said  that  "  mathematical  science  reveals  geometrical 
and  numerical  fitnesses,  proportions,  and  harmonies,  which  are 
traced  alike  in  the  courses  of  the  stars  and  in  the  collocation 
of  the  foliage  on  the  tree,  and  which  promise  one  day  to  give 
us  the  equation  of  the  curve  of  the  sea-shell,  of  the  contour  of 
the  geranium  leaf,  of  the  crest  of  the  wave."  He  preached 
on  Sundays  in  vacant  pulpits,  and  received  three  invitations  to 
take  a  permanent  settlement,  one  of  these  coming  from  the 
South  Parish  of  Portsmouth.  Rev.  Dr.  Nathan  Parker  was  in 
feeble  health,  but  it  was  hoped  that  after  an  interval  of  rest 
he  might  return  to  the  pulpit ;  and  Mr.  Peabody  was  asked  to 
become  his  assistant.  Distrustful  of  himself,  he  accepted  the 
call,  believing  that  he  would  have  the  benefit  of  the  senior 
pastor's  counsel  and  aid.  The  ordination  took  place  on  Octo- 
ber 24,  1833  ;  but  Dr.  Parker's  illness  having  increased,  he 
was  unable  to  be  present,  and  soon  afterward  died,  and  his 
colleague  preached  his  funeral  sermon  on  the  third  Sunday  of 
his  pastorate.  The  young  minister,  who  was  then  twenty-two 
years  of  age,  thus  unexpectedly  found  himself  in  full  charge 
of  the  parish. 

Portsmouth  at  that  time  was  a  place  of  much  more  com- 
mercial importance  than  it  is  now.     There  was  a  considerable 


9 

trade  with  the  West  Indies,  wharves  and  warehouses  were 
built,  and  there  was  much  activity  and  bustle  along  the 
streets.  The  large  dwelling-houses  were  occupied  by  prosper- 
ous merchants,  and  there  were  many  families  of  wealth,  refine- 
ment, and  culture.  The  South  Parish  was  one  of  the  strong- 
est in  New  England,  and  had  lately  built  a  costly  stone  edifice 
which  was  filled  by  a  congregation  many  of  whom  were 
among  the  most  intelligent  in  the  community.  Its  minister 
had  been  noted  for  his  dignity  and  simplicity,  and  was 
regarded  by  his  society  with  mingled  pride  and  affection,  and 
was  held  second  to  no  clergyman  of  his  denomination  in  that 
part  of  the  country.  The  new  minister  was  shy,  awkward, 
unaccustomed  to  society,  and  with  little  knowledge  of  the 
world.  But  he  had  loj'al  friends  and  helpers,  who  overlooked 
his  mistakes,  supplemented  his  deficiencies,  and  assisted  him 
in  every  way  ;  and  to  this  fact  undoubtedly  he  referred  when 
he  said  that  a  people  frequently  may  do  as  much  for  a  minis- 
ter as  a  minister  may  do  for  a  people.  He  gradually  grew 
into  fitness  for  his  office,  and  at  length  showed  that  he  was 
admirably  adapted  for  it.  He  won  the  respect  of  everybody 
by  his  acknowledged  ability  as  a  preacher,  and  soon  there 
were  no  pews  to  be  obtained  in  the  church.  He  prepared 
alwa3"s  one  and  not  seldom  two  discourses  for  every  Sunday, 
and  in  addition  to  this  he  delivered  an  Expository  Lecture 
and  conducted  a  Bible  Class  for  young  ladies  during  the 
Aveek.  He  gave  his  best  thought  to  his  sermons,  which  fre- 
quently were  written  currente  calamo,  at  one  sitting.  He 
worked  often  till  after  midnight  —  a  practice  which  he  con- 
tinued for  many  years  —  because  he  could  compose  better 
when  the  house  was  still. 

He  was  a  devoted  pastor,  after  the  type  which  now  is  pass- 
ing away.  He  spent  the  forenoon  in  his  study,  but  in  the 
afternoon  he  went  among  the  people,  and  here  he  found 
themes  for  his  preaching.     He   was  unremitting  in  his  atten- 


10 

tions  to  the  aged,  the  sick,  and  the  sad.  His  parishioners  felt 
sure  of  his  interest  in  them  and  in  whatever  related  to  them, 
and  to  many  he  was  their  chosen  confidant  and  adviser  in 
worldly,  domestic,  and  spiritual  troubles.  He  never  obtruded 
his  opinions  or  advice ;  but  when  opportunities  were  offered 
for  saying  a  helpful  or  a  needed  word,  he  improved  them. 
By  his  loving  disposition  he  endeared  himself  to  all  in  every 
home,  and  the  children  and  grandchildren  cherished  the  same 
attachment  to  him  as  their  elders.  He  was  interested  in  all 
classes  of  the  people,  and  was  especially  thoughtful  for  the 
welfare  of  the  fishermen  of  the  Isles  of  Shoals  ;  and  after  his 
resignation  of  the  pastorate  he  was  surprised  and  gratified  to 
receive  from  them  a  silver  fish-knife,  beautifully  engraved, 
and  bearing  the  inscription,  "  An  humble  token  of  gratitude 
for  the  efficient  educational  and  religious  services  rendered  to 
them  during  the  past  twenty-seven  years." 

At  one  period  of  his  ministry  he  was  quite  ill  with  a  bron- 
chial affection,  and  was  absent  for  three  months,  going  to  New 
Orleans  by  sea  and  returning  by  the  Mississippi  River.  From 
the  impressions  derived  during  this  visit  he  afterwards  pre- 
pared a  racy  and  entertaining  article  entitled  "  Slavery  as  it 
appeared  to  a  Northern  man  in  1844."  So  likewise  when  he 
went  abroad  subsequently  for  recreation,  his  letters  were  so 
graphic  and  complete  —  especially  his  descriptions  of  the  mas- 
terpieces in  the  galleries  of  art  —  that  on  his  return  he  delivered 
them  as  Lowell  Lectures,  scarcely  altering  a  word. 

Mr.  Peabody's  labors  in  New  Hampshire  have  been  com- 
paratively forgotten,  having  been  eclipsed  by  the  greater  and 
more  conspicuous  work  of  his  later  life.  Yet  he  was  there 
twenty-seven  years  ;  and  his  influence  was  not  confined  to  tlie 
place  where  he  resided,  for  by  the  addresses  which  he  deliv- 
ered in  all  the  principal  towns  of  the  State  he  became  the 
leading  authority  in  matters  relating  to  education  and  the 
public  schools.      For  forty  years  he   was  a  trustee  of  Phil- 


11 

lips  Exeter  Academy,  and  for  eighteen  years  President  of 
the  Board  ;  and  its  new  dormitory  is  to  be  named  "  Peabody 
Hall,"  in  honor  of  the  man  who  gave  the  longest  and  most 
valuable  service  to  the  institution.  Though  he  was  engrossed 
with  multifarious  duties,  he  found  time  for  literary  employ- 
ments, and  was  constantly  busy  with  his  pen,  as  he  was 
through  his  whole  life.  The  following  volumes  were  issued 
by  him  during  this  period  :  "  Lectures  on  Christian  Doctrine," 
1844,  new  edition,  1863 ;  "  Christian  Consolations,"  1846, 
ninth  edition,  1890  ;  "  Conversation :  Its  Faults  and  its 
Graces,"  1846,  several  editions;  five  memoirs,  and  four  ser- 
mons connected  with  the  re-opening  of  the  church  of  the 
South  Parish. 

In  1852,  wishing  to  gain  mental  stimulus  and  avoid  sinking 
into  the  ruts  of  commonplace,  he  disregarded  the  advice  of 
friends  and  became  proprietor  and  editor  of  the  "  North  Amer- 
ican Review,"  which  was  then  the  foremost  literary  periodical 
in  the  country.  His  predecessors  were  Alexander  and  Edward 
Everett,  John  G.  Palfrey,  Jared  Sparks,  Francis  Bowen  ;  and 
he  was  succeeded  by  James  Russell  Lowell  and  Charles  Eliot 
Norton.  It  was  no  easy  task  to  maintain  the  standard  which 
had  been  reached  by  this  Review  ;  but  he  had  charge  of  it  for 
ten  years,  —  at  first  while  he  was  in  Portsmouth,  and  for  two 
or  three  years  after  he  removed  to  Cambridge.  Every  num- 
ber of  the  quarterly  contained  one  or  more  articles  from 
him,  and  he  prepared  the  larger  part  of  the  book  notices,  so 
that  altogether  his  writings  filled  more  than  sixteen  hundred 
pages.  This  was  enough  to  tax  the  strength  of  a  strong  man, 
even  if  he  did  nothing  else  ;  for  his  contributions  were  by  no 
means  superficial,  but  were  thorough  discussions  of  important 
subjects,  which  will  repay  perusal  at  the  present  day.  Scarcely 
any  prominent  work  was  published  relating  to  history,  biog- 
raphy, archfBology,  moral  philosophy,  theology,  travel,  poetry, 
art,  science,  that  was  not  submitted  to  his  judgment.     The 


12 

object  which  he  had  in  view  when  he  entered  on  this  under- 
taking was  accomplished.  The  multitude  of  topics  which  he 
was  obliged  to  consider  brought  to  him  fresh  thought,  which, 
as  he  said,  renewed  his  youth  so  that  he  performed  more  and 
better  work  in  his  proper  calling  for  the  large  amount  of  labor 
than  he  did  out  of  it. 

Among  the  elaborate  papers  which  he  furnished  to  this 
Review  is  one  which,  though  written  fifty  years  ago,  is  note- 
worthy for  the  far-sightedness  of  the  writer,  and  the  hopes 
which  he  entertained  for  the  enlargement  and  growth  of  Har- 
vard College.  The  Elective  System  at  that  time  had  not  been 
developed  and  the  graduate  school  did  not  exist,  while  the 
collegiate  department  was  comparatively  small  in  numbers  ; 
yet  he  thus  writes  in  1845  :  — 

"  Why  might  there  not  be  instituted  at  Cambridge  a  course  of  studies 
for  studeuts  of  much  higher  attainments  than  those  now  admitted,  —  a 
course  on  which  the  graduates  of  other  colleges  might  be  just  qualified 
to  enter  ?  If  pupils  were  received  at  Harvard  at  nearly  the  point  of 
literary  acquisition  at  which  they  are  now  sent  forth,  the  institution 
would  become  at  once  and  long  continue  without  a  rival  the  University 
of  America.  Studious  young  men  from  all  other  colleges  and  from 
every  part  of  the  United  States  would  be  drawn  together  there.  The 
studies  to  be  pursued,  the  books  to  be  read,  might  with  propriety  be 
left  in  a  great  degree  to  the  option  of  the  student.  Recitations  might 
for  the  most  part  be  superseded  by  lectures  or  by  critical  expositions. 
The  attainment  of  a  degree  might  be  made  to  depend  on  a  series  of 
thorough,  searching  examinations, 

"  An  institution  thus  organized  would  be  of  incalculable  benefit  to 
the  whole  country.  Its  influence  would  be  at  once  most  sensibly  felt 
in  the  (so-called)  learned  professions.  It  would  remove  the  reproach 
of  juvenility.  It  would  prescribe  a  thorough  basis  of  liberal  culture 
for  those  who  aspire  to  eminence  in  professional  life.  It  would  fix  the 
scholarly  habits  of  its  graduates,  and  make  them  reading,  thinking,  im- 
proving men  for  life  ;  whereas  now  half  of  our  graduates  can  exhibit, 
ten  years  after  leaving  college,  no  marks  of  a  liberal  education  except 
its  parchment  testimonial. 

"  But  all  this,  desirable  as  it  is,  is  more  than  we  can  at  present  ex- 


13 

pect,  though  we  belie%'e  that  Harvard  University  is  destined  at  some 
future  time  to  assume  this  position  ;  and  we  cannot  but  trust  that,  by 
calling  the  attention  of  our  readers  to  the  need  of  higher  means  of  cul- 
ture than  are  now  enjoyed,  we  may  have  done  something  towards  the 
ultimate  supply  of  such  means." 

As  though  his  editorial  and  parochial  labors  were  not  suf- 
ficient, Mr.  Peabody  prepared  sixty  leading  articles  for  the 
"Whig  Review,"  1837-1859;  he  furnished  about  forty  to 
the  "  Christian  Examiner,"  1882-1856 ;  he  was  an  editor 
of  the  "  Christian  Register  "  from  October,  1849,  to  January, 
1852 ;  and  in  addition  he  wrote  for  the  "  American  Monthly," 
the  "  New  England  Magazine,"  and  other  publications.  The 
number,  variety,  and  quality  of  his  essays  show  the  fulness 
and  versatility  of  his  mind,  as  well  as  his  marvellous  facility 
of  composition.  In  1852  the  honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity  was  bestowed  upon  him  by  Harvard  College,  and 
in  1860  he  was  called  to  be  Preacher  to  the  University  and 
Plummer  Professor  of  Christian  Morals. 

This  appointment  was  received  with  general  satisfaction. 
It  was  thought  to  be  a  great  gain  for  the  College  to  have 
secured  for  this  important  position  a  clergyman  of  such  high 
reputation  ;  and  it  was  felt  that  it  would  be  a  great  benefit  to 
the  students  to  be  under  the  influence  of  one  so  widely  known 
for  his  ripe  culture,  his  broad  sympathies,  his  unaffected  piety, 
who  exemplified  what  he  tauglit.  These  expectations  were 
not  disappointed,  for  during  the  twenty-one  years  he  held 
this  office  he  had  the  esteem  and  love  of  almost  every  one 
with  whom  he  was  associated.  The  eminent  members  of  the 
Faculty  at  that  time  —  Benjamin  Peirce,  Cornelius  Felton, 
Joseph  Lovering,  Asa  Gray,  Francis  Bowen,  Henry  W.  Torrey, 
as  well  as  many  prominent  men  of  like  character,  like  Edward 
Everett,  John  G.  Palfrey,  Robert  C.  Winthrop,  Ebenezer  Rock- 
wood  Hoar,  and  others — were  his  firm  friends,  and  there 
existed  the  most  cordial  relations  between  them. 


14 

According  to  the  terms  of  his  professorship,  he  was  expected 
to  give  instruction  in  ethics,  to  conduct  morning  prayers,  and 
to  preach  on  Sundays  in  the  chapel,  attendance  being  not 
optional  but  required.  So  full  and  varied  were  his  attain- 
ments, however,  that  from  time  to  time  he  taught  logic,  polit- 
ical economy,  astronomy,  and  Hebrew,  and  supervised  the 
senior  forensics  when  there  was  need.  Twice  he  was  Acting* 
President,  —  in  1862,  after  the  death  of  C.  C.  Felton,  and 
again  in  1868-1869,  after  the  retirement  of  Thomas  Hill.  Such 
confidence  was  reposed  in  his  wisdom  and  judgment  that  rich 
men  made  him  their  almoner,  and  he  distributed  nearly  forty 
thousand  dollars  from  a  single  individual  for  needy  and  worthy 
beneficiaries. 

His  special  office  in  the  College,  however,  was  that  of  a 
teacher  of  morals  and  religion, —  a  difficult  one  to  fill,  as  has 
been  found  in  whatever  college  it  exists.  In  addition  to  the 
criticism  which  every  academic  teacher  must  expect  to  receive, 
he  was  called  upon  to  set  forth  the  highest  ethical  and  spirit- 
ual truths.  Undergraduates  generally  are  not  of  an  age  when 
these  verities  appeal  to  them,  as  they  do  to  others.  The  spirit 
of  the  place,  which  is  and  must  be  a  spirit  of  inquiry,  is  not 
always  favorable  to  faith.  Students,  moreover,  are  quick  to 
detect  any  unreality  or  seeming  insincerity  in  those  who  hold 
up  a  high  standard  for  others.  But  Dr.  Peabody  Avas  so  true 
and  genuine  that  he  drew  his  pupils  to  himself,  and  the  more 
they  knew  him  the  more  they  were  attached  to  him.  He 
could  not  have  commanded  their  esteem  if  he  had  not  pos- 
sessed the  qualities  that  deserved  it.  Those  who  did  not 
personally  come  in  contact  with  him  felt  the  elevating  influ- 
ence of  his  presence,  and  even  the  less  serious  and  worthy 
regarded  him  with  respect  and  affection.  No  college  officer 
was  ever  the  recipient  of  such  wealth  of  love  from  succes- 
sive classes  during  so  many  years.  This  extraordinarj'-  popu- 
larit}'  was  manifested  in   the   tumultuous  and   hearty  cheers 


15 

which  were  given  him  on  Class-Day,  and  which  sometimes 
were  prolonged  as  if  they  would  never  cease.  Even  after 
he  had  relinquished  his  official  position,  his  name  drew  forth 
the  greatest  enthusiasm  ;  and  he  was  still  requested  to  preach 
the  farewell  sermon  to  the  graduating  class,  who  felt  that  no 
one  could  give  them  such  words  of  counsel,  and  who  desired 
no  other  to  pronounce  a  parting  blessing.  The  title  which 
was  applied  to  him,  —  "  Dear  Old  Dr.  Peabody,"  — so  differ- 
ent from  the  nicknames  bestowed  on  others,  testifies  also  to 
the  deep  place  he  held  in  the  hearts  of  all.  That  these  mani- 
festations of  reverence  and  affection  were  not  prompted  by 
any  spasmodic  or  temporary  feeling,  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  sober-minded  graduates  of  several  years'  standing  shared 
the  same  sentiments.  At  the  Commencement  which  marked 
his  withdrawal  from  the  service  of  the  University,  he  was  the 
chief  figure  of  the  hour,  and  was  everywhere  greeted  with  the 
highest  proofs  of  personal  regard. 

Undoubtedly  the  strong  attachment  of  the  students  to  him 
was  the  consequence  of  his  deep  interest  and  love  for  them. 
He  was  a  father  to  them,  and  they  knew  that  they  could  rely 
on  his  fatherly  interest  in  their  welfare.  His  house  was  freely 
open  to  them,  and  they  could  go  and  unbosom  themselves  to 
him,  and  obtain  counsel  and  encouragement.  When  they 
were  ill,  he  was  sure  to  call  upon  them,  and  his  visits  brought 
light,  cheer,  comfort,  and  (when  necessary)  substantial  aid. 
He  defended  them  in  Faculty  meetings,  and  was  their  friend 
at  court;  and  whenever  they  were  in  trouble  they  would  send 
for  him.  He  was  the  one  person  to  whom  they  could  look  for 
sympathy  and  support.  He  was  not  merely  a  member  of  the 
board  of  government,  interested  in  enforcing  the  rules,  but  he 
was  their  pastor,  well-wisher,  and  constant  friend,  and  doubtless 
considered  them  as  especially  committed  to  his  care.  In  some 
instances  he  was  acquainted  with  their  families,  and  knew 
their  parents  or  relatives,  which  was  an  additional  motive  for 


16 

his  acting  in  their  behalf.  Above  all,  he  was  not  by  tempera- 
ment a  strict  disciplinarian,  and  it  was  not  his  nature  to  be 
harsh  and  stern.  He  preferred  to  rule  by  love  rather  than  by 
law.  He  was  not  indifferent  to  what  was  morally  wrong  ;  but 
he  took  into  account  the  mitigating  circumstances  of  every  ac- 
tion, and  he  administered  discipline  so  wisely  that,  while  he  re- 
buked, he  retained  and  increased  the  good-will  of  the  offender. 

The  following  incident  is  an  illustration  of  his  method,  at 
the  same  time  that  it  shows  his  tact,  kind-heartedness,  and 
judgment.  Two  students,  during  their  summer  vacation,  were 
guilty  of  writing  improper  letters  to  certain  young  ladies.  These 
letters  in  some  manner  came  into  the  hands  of  the  parents  or 
guardians  of  the  two  girls,  who  sent  them  to  Dr.  Peabody, 
thinking  that  the  matter  should  be  investigated,  and  the 
students  punished  by  the  college  authorities.  When  the  vaca- 
tion was  over  and  the  students  had  returned  to  Cambridge, 
they  were  summoned  to  meet  Dr.  Peabody,  when  the  follow- 
ing conversation  in  substance  took  place :  — 

Dr.  P.  "  Did  you  two  young  men  spend  a  part  of  your 
vacation  in ?"     Ans.    "Yes." 

Dr.  P.  "  While  there  did  you  make  the  acquaintance  of 
the  Misses ?  "     Students,  somewhat  surprised.    "  Yes." 

Dr.  P.  "  Well,  young  men,  I  have  had  some  letters  sent  to 
me,  alleged  to  have  been  written  by  you  to  these  ladies." 
[Taking  them  from  a  receptacle.]  "  Here  they  are."  Students 
become  very  much  confused  and  mortified. 

Dr.  P.  looks  at  them  searchingly,  waits  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  speaks :  "  Young  men,  I  see  by  your  looks  that  there  is 
something  in  these  letters  which  disturbs  you.  But  I  have 
not  read  a  word  of  them.  My  sense  of  honor  forbade  my 
doing  so.  I  am  entirely  ignorant  of  what  they  contain,  except 
by  inference.  But  if  they  are  of  the  nature  which  I  infer  from 
your  embarrassment,  they  had  better  be  disposed  of  at  once." 
He  throws  them  into  the  fire  and  then  says  slowly ;  "  But, 


17 

young  men,  if  3'ou  have  acted  in  a  manner  which  brings  re- 
proach upon  you,  let  me  advise  you,  never  do  so  again.  Never 
write  anything  which  may  come  back  long  afterwards  to  bring 
to  your  faces  a  sense  of  shame.  Good  morning,  gentlemen. 
Never  be  so  foolish  again." 

The  boys,  after  having  suffered  the  pangs  of  conscience 
while  they  were  in  his  presence,  left  Dr.  Peabody,  feeling 
much  relieved,  but  conscious  that  they  had  learned  a  lesson 
which  they  would  never  forget. 

The  students,  on  graduating  from  college,  took  with  them 
not  only  the  remembrance  of  Dr.  Peabody's  kindnesses,  but 
the  impress  of  his  unselfishness,  his  devoutness,  his  pure 
and  blameless  life.  This  was  of  more  value  than  any  book- 
knowledge  which  they  might  have  gained  in  the  recitation- 
room.  An  extract  from  an  article  entitled  "  Justice  to 
Andrew  Peabody's  Memory  "  confirms  this:  " To  us  children 
of  an  older  generation.  Dr.  Peabody  stands  alone  as  the  ex- 
ponent of  all  that  was  good  and  pure  in  our  college  days.  His 
devotion  and  patience  in  teaching  a  lot  of  thankless  scape- 
graces, his  ready  counsel  for  those  who  sought  it,  his  forbear- 
ance and  the  allowance  he  made  for  youthful  follies,  endeared 
hira  to  us  beyond  all  others  in  authority  over  us.  His  very 
going  and  coming  marked  the  grand  simplicity  of  the  man, 
and  his  mere  presence  among  us  was  a  perpetual  benediction." 
Another,  who  appreciated  what  he  was,  thus  writes :  "  Those 
who  have  not  known  this  teacher  have  missed  a  privilege  veiy 
rare.  To  the  young  men  of  two  generations  he  has  been  a 
guide  and  a  friend.  His  voice  has  borne  to  them  the  intima- 
tion of  the  Divine  presence,  and  the  assurance  of  the  high 
meaning  of  human  life.  As  far  as  the  knowledge  of  him  has 
gone,  so  far  have  there  been  diffused  new  respect  for  the 
Christian  faith,  new  confidence  in  the  lofty  possibilities  of 
mankind,  and  fresh  gratitude  for  symmetry  and  beauty  of 
character."      The    following   books  were    published   by   him 


18 

while  he  occupied  the  professor's  chair :  "  Christianity  the 
Religion  of  Nature:  Lectures  before  the  Lowell  Institute, 
Boston,  2d  ed.,  1864"  ;  "Sermons  to  Children,  1867  "  ;  "  Rem- 
iniscences of  European  Travel,  1868  "  ;  "A  Mnnual  of  Moral 
Philosophy,  1873"  ;  "  Christianity  and  Science :  Lectures  be- 
fore the  Union  Theological  Seminary  of  New  York,  1874 ; 
London,  1875";  "Christian  Belief  and  Life,  1875."  The 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  conferred  upon  him  by  Roch- 
ester University  in  1863. 

Dr.  Peabody  had  determined  that  when  he  reached  the  age 
of  seventy,  he  would  resign  his  position  ;  and  he  carried  out  his 
purpose,  although  some  of  his  friends  regretted  it,  and  endeav- 
ored to  dissuade  him  from  it.  He  was  at  once  made  Professor 
Emeritus ;  and  this  office  he  held  twelve  years,  until  his  death. 
He  now  made  a  third  visit  to  Europe,  where,  accompanied 
by  his  family,  he  spent  a  year,  while  the  place  left  vacant  in 
the  College  was  occupied  by  different  ministers,  and  is  now 
filled  by  six  clergymen  of  various  denominations.  He  was  so 
much  benefited  by  his  journey  abroad,  that  he  came  back 
with  the  feeling  that  he  had  thrown  off  a  full  half-score  of 
years.  He  was  immediately  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Overseers,  and  was  repeatedly  re-elected,  until  he  had  served 
ten  years.  He  resumed  his  literary  work,  and  his  productions 
were  as  abundant  and  vigorous  as  ever.  He  published  his 
"  Baccalaureate  Sermons  "  in  1885.  He  translated  five  ethical 
treatises  of  Cicero  and  Plutarch,  adding  to  each  volume  an 
Introduction,  a  Synopsis  and  Notes,  1883-1886.  A  series  of 
Lectures  on  Moral  Philosophy  appeared  in  1887.  This  was 
followed  by  two  delightful  books  entitled  "  Harvard  Reminis- 
cences," 1888,  and"  Harvard  Graduates  whom  I  have  Known," 
1890.  Though  he  was  not  a  brilliant  speaker,  with  an  impos- 
ing presence,  a  commanding  voice,  a  fascinating  delivery, 
he  was  in  constant  demand  for  the  supply  of  pulpits.  During 
the  illness  and  after  the  death  of  the    late  Rev.  Henry  W. 


19 

Foote,  he  preached  to  his  society,  and  printed  a  volume 
of  "  King's  Chapel  Sermons  "  in  1891.  He  officiated  every 
summer  at  the  Nahant  church,  which  is  attended  by  those 
who  hold  different  forms  and  creeds ;  and  in  1894  a  tablet  was 
placed  upon  its  walls  "  in  memory  of  his  acceptable  ministra- 
tions to  this  church." 

Dr.  Peabody  was  not  only  a  prolific  writer,  he  was  active 
in  all  good  enterprises  affecting  the  city  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  interested  in  its  charitable  institutions ;  and  he  was 
chairman  of  the  committee  of  clergymen.  Catholic  and  Prot- 
estant, which  for  several  successive  years  carried  through  the 
policy  of  "  No  License."  He  was  for  twelve  years  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  School  Committee  ;  and  one  of  the  newest 
and  best  schoolhouses  bears  his  name,  and  his  portrait  by 
E.  T.  Billings  hangs  in  the  Peabody  School.  He  was  Vice- 
President  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts  and  Sciences ; 
and  when  asked  if  he  would  accept  the  Presidency,  he  replied 
that  he  would  do  so  if  he  were  3'^ounger,  and  he  mentioned 
some  changes  which  he  would  be  glad  to  introduce.  He  was 
Vice-President  of  the  American  Antiquarian  Society,  and  also 
of  the  American  Oriental  Society.  For  more  than  thirty 
years  he  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Soci- 
ety, and  a  portrait  of  him  by  F.  P.  Vinton  has  been  given  to 
it  by  Mrs.  John  L.  Sibley.  He  was  for  seventeen  years  one 
of  the  managers  of  the  Perkins  Institution  for  the  Blind  ;  and 
for  fifty  years  he  was  a  Vice-President  of  the  American  Peace 
Society,  besides  being  at  the  head  of  many  other  charitable 
and  religious  societies.  He  was  connected  with  Harvard  Uni- 
versity, from  the  time  he  entered  as  a  student,  forty-nine 
3'ears,  and  no  one  ever  served  it  in  a  more  varied  capacity. 
There  is  a  marble  bust  of  him  in  Gore  Hall  ;  a  portrait  by 
Vinton  will  ultimately  come  into  possession  of  the  College  ;  and 
on  the  walls  of  Appleton  Chapel  has  been  affixed  a  bronze 
tablet,  a  gift  of  the  Alumni,  who  also  have  established  a  fund 


20 

for  deserving  students,  in  memory  of  him,  thus  continuing  the 
work  which  it  was  his  highest  delight  to  do,  and  associating 
his  name  with  it  for  all  future  generations.  The  inscription 
on  the  tablet  is  as  follows :  — 

ANDREW   PRESTON   PEABODY,   D.D.,   LL.D. 

Plummer  Professor  of  Christian  Morals  and  Pkeacheh  to  the  Univehsity 

BORN  AT  Beverly,  March  19,  1811 

DIED  at  Cambridge,  March  10,  1893 

Author,  Editor,  Teacher,  Preacher,  Helper  of  Men 

Three  Generations  looked  to  him 

AS  to  a  Benefactor,  a  Friend,  a  Father 

His    Precept    was    glorified    by   his    Example 

While  for  Thirty-three  Years 

HE  MOVED  among  THE  TeACHERS  AND  STUDENTS  OF  HaUVARD  CoLLEGE 
AND   WIST   NOT   THAT   HIS   FaCE   ShONE 

Dr.  Peabody's  last  years  were  serene  and  peaceful, — a  fit- 
ting  crown  to  his  long  and  useful  life.  Though  old  age  had 
whitened  his  hair,  it  seemed  not  to  have  benumbed  or  palsied 
his  spirit.  His  intellectual  powers  were  unimpaired,  and  there 
was  the  same  freshness  of  thought  and  aptness  and  terseness 
of  expression..  He  grew  ripe  and  mellow  as  he  grew  older. 
There  was  no  querulousness  or  impatience,  but  only  calmness, 
gentleness,  sweetness  in  all  that  he  said  and  did.  His  popular- 
ity was  unbounded,  and  old  and  young  deliglited  to  do  him 
honor.  Venerable  in  aspect,  he  received  love  and  reverence 
wherever  he  went ;  and  when  he  rose  in  an  assembly  to  offer 
prayer,  there  was  a  profound  stillness,  as  if  all  recognized  that 
here  was  a  man  who  walked  with  God. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Peabody  at  the  age  of  8^  years  created  a 
profound  impression.  It  occurred  on  March  10, 1893,  after  a 
month's  illness  resulting  from  a  serious  fall.  It  was  felt  by 
thousands  of  graduates  as  a  public  loss,  and  still  more  as  a 
personal  bereavement.     Words  of  sorrow  were  expressed  not 


21 

only  by  the  societies  of  which  he  was  a  member,  but  by  reli- 
gious bodies  with  which  he  had  no  official  connection.  This 
action  was  unprecedented  in  this  community.  The  Baptist 
Pastors'  Union  said,"  With  men  of  every  religious  communion 
the  members  of  this  body  join  in  paying  the  tribute  of  affec- 
tionate and  reverent  regard  for  the  memory  of  the  Christian 
Scholar,  Preacher,  and  Citizen,  by  whose  death  the  whole  com- 
munity is  afflicted."  The  Clerical  Association  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church  signified  their  high  appreciation  of  his  noble  life 
and  character  ;  and  the  Evangelical  Alliance  testified  that  he 
had  been  in  the  front  rank  of  Christian  writers  and  speakers, 
going  up  and  down  the  State  in  services  to  religion  and  edu- 
cation. Eulogies  were  uttered  in  distant  cities  of  the  South 
and  West,  his  pupils  being  scattered  through  ever}'-  part  of 
the  country.  A  contributor  to  a  leading  Review  alluded  to 
the  saintly  Dr.  Peabody,  in  whose  company  one  lost  tlie  sense 
of  friction  and  irritation  which  contact  with  the  life  of  the  day 
had  produced,  and  took  on  involuntarily  something  of  his  rest- 
fulness  and  benignity.  Another  writer  declared  that  what 
Arnold  was  to  the  boys  at  Rugb}^  Peabody  was  to  the  boys 
at  Harvard.  A  Boston  journalist  remarked  that  Dr.  Peabody 
was  beloved  and  honored  and  trusted  as  no  University 
preacher  was  ever  trusted  and  honored,  and  that  the  only 
likeness  to  this  in  modern  days  was  the  influence  exerted 
by  Dr.  Jowett  of  Oxford.  The  following  lines  are  the  con- 
clusion of  a  poem  which  indicates  the  sentiments  of  very 
many  who  admii-ed  Dr.  Peabody :  — 

'*  In  the  proud  Memorial  Hall 

Let  his  portrait  grace  the  wall; 

Let  the  sculptor's  godlike  art 

For  the  noblest  do  its  part ; 

Let  memorial  building  rise 

Broad  and  lofty  to  the  skies. 

Build  what  monument  ye  can 
•   To  the  friend  of  fellow-man, 


22 

No  memorial  can  express  ■ 

Half  his  nature's  worthiness, 

No  memorial  can  reveal 

Love  that  sons  of  Harvard  feel." 

Dr.  Peabody's  industry  was  amazing.  He  was  a  rigid  econ- 
omist of  time.  He  improved  every  moment,  and  his  untiring 
activity  was  the  perpetual  wonder  of  all  who  knew  him.  His 
literary  productiveness  never  ceased,  and  even  after  his  death 
articles  were  published  which  he  had  written,  but  which  he 
did  not  live  to  read.  Besides  his  books,  reviews,  innumeraV)le 
articles,  extensive  correspondence,  and  weekly  sermons,  he 
printed  two  hundred  pamphlets,  which,  if  bound  up  together, 
would  make  a  small  library.  These  include  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
orations  and  addresses  at  Dartmouth  (1843),  Harvard  (1845), 
Brown  (1858),  Amherst  (1867),  Williams  (1877)  ;  centennial 
commemorations,  like  that  at  Cambridge  (1875) ;  discourses  at 
ordinations,  dedications,  and  anniversaries ;  monographs  on 
timely  questions  ;  and  reports  of  committees  on  the  High  School 
and  the  College.  He  delivered  the  Dudleian  Lecture  in  1856, 
and  he  preached  the  sermon  before  the  Legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts at  tlie  annual  election  in  1872.  He  contributed 
chapters  to  important  works,  such  as  the  Memorial  History  of 
Boston,  Annals  of  King's  Chapel,  Annals  of  the  American 
Unitarian  Pulpit,  authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  many 
others.  As  he  had  no  amanuensis,  the  mere  manual  labor  in- 
volved in  writing  out  all  those  dissertations  and  correcting 
proof  would  to  many  persons  be  simply  appalling.  So  accus- 
tomed was  he  to  this,  however,  that  he  said  that  he  felt  "  lost" 
if  he  had  nothing  in  the  press.  His  method  was  to  think 
slowly  and  write  rapidly  ;  and  when  he  was  to  deliver  an  im- 
portant address,  he  wished  to  be  notified  several  weeks  before- 
hand in  order  that  he  might  meditate  upon  a  subject,  but  after 
he  had  done  this,  he  could  put  his  tlioughts  on  paper  in  a 
few  hours. 


23 

Though  he  was  constantly  busy,  he  never  seemed  to  be  in 
a  hurry,  but  was  calm  and  placid,  and  his  manuscript  was 
ready  for  the  printer  at  the  appointed  time.  He  was  not  dis- 
turbed by  being  interrupted,  and  he  was  always  willing  to  lay 
aside  his  pen  in  order  to  see  a  friend,  or  listen  to  an  appeal,  or 
to  give  counsel,  or  undertake  new  work.  He  rarely  appeared 
wearied  or  exhausted,  and  his  freshness  and  buoyancy  were 
remarkable.  Meeting  him  in  the  cars  as  he  was  returning  to 
Cambridge  late  on  Saturday  evening,  I  said  to  him,  "  I  suppose 
that  you  are  ready  for  Sunday."  "  No,"  he  answered,  "  I  am 
going  home  to  prepare  for  to-morrow."  On  my  expressing  sur- 
prise he  added,  "  It  rests  me  to  write  a  sermon."  In  truth,  his 
sermons  were  only  the  natural  outbreathing  of  his  spirit.  Dr. 
Peabody  could  not  have  accomplished  this  vast  amount  of  labor, 
working  more  than  ten  hours  a  day  and  often  far  into  the  night, 
so  that  his  lamp  was  burning  in  the  early  morning,  if  lie  had 
not  possessed  a  strong  physical  constitution.  He  kept  it  in 
repair  by  daily  exercise,  so  that  he  was  almost  incapable  of 
fatigue,  was  seldom  ill,  and  was  uniformly  in  good  working 
order.  He  enjoyed  mountain-climbing,  and  regarded  it  as  the 
highest  physical  luxury  possible,  since  it  brought  one  set  of 
muscles  into  play  going  up  and  another  set  going  down.  He 
frequently  walked  five  or  six,  and  sometimes  even  ten  miles, 
before  and  after  service  on  Sunday,  when  he  went  to  exchange 
with  another  minister.  For  a  large  part  of  his  success  he  was 
indebted  to  his  stalwart  frame  and  robust  health,  and  espe- 
cially to  his  indomitable  will,  which  enabled  him  to  accomplish 
whatever  he  undertook. 

His  scholarship  covered  a  broad  field,  and  his  erudition  was 
extensive.  He  was  familiar  with  all  the  departments  of  his 
profession,  and  also  was  acquainted  with  philosophy,  history, 
and  general  literature.  He  was  a  constant  reader  of  the  clas- 
sics, which  he  admired  as  unsurpassed  vehicles  of  thought  and 
speech,  and  which  he   considered  most  helpful  in  forming  a 


24 

good  Englisli  style  of  writing.  Mathematical  truth  he  valued 
as  necessary  and  absolute  truth,  which  must  have  been  true 
before  all  worlds;  and,  so  far  as  we  grasp  it,  he  maintained, 
God  gives  us  glimpses  of  the  plan  of  the  universe,  permits  us 
to  handle  the  compasses  with  which  he  meted  out  the  earth  and 
spread  the  heavens,  and  enables  us  to  see  precisely  as  he  sees. 
"  To  undervalue  mathematics  were  blasphemy,  did  not  the 
stupidness  of  the  offender  cancel  his  guilt."  Dr.  Peabody's 
knowledge  was  not  only  theoretical,  but  practical.  He  lec- 
tured at  tlie  Concord  School  of  Philosophy  on  the  Life  and 
Times  of  Plato,  and  on  the  Ethics  of  Aristotle ;  and  he  pre- 
pared an  article  on  the  Prevention  of  Fires  in  American 
Cities,  which  an  insurance  company  in  Philadelphia  caused 
to  be  reprinted  and  extensively  circulated,  and  several  of  the 
recommendations  of  which  have  been  adopted.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Harvard  Medical  School  in  1870  he  de- 
livered an  address  on  "  What  the  Physician  should  be  "  ;  and 
he  wrote  for  the  Smithsonian  Institution  at  Washington  a 
paper  on  "  The  Scientific  Education  of  Mechanics  and  Arti- 
sans." Of  course  he  was  not  an  expert  on  these  several  sub- 
jects, and  did  not  possess  a  minute  knowledge  of  all  their 
details.  But  he  had  wide  learning,  sagacity,  and  experience, 
a  comprehensive  and  well-furnished  mind,  and  his  addresses 
were  profitable  and  interesting.  Undoubtedly  if  he  had  con- 
centrated his  talents  and  energy,  he  might  have  produced  some 
great  work,  which  would  have  given  him  rank  among  thinkers 
and  scholars,  and  perhaps  have  secured  for  him  fame  in  future 
generations.  But  he  would  then  have  sacrificed  the  influence 
which  he  exerted  on  his  contemporaries  and  on  the  rising 
generation,  and  he  would  not  have  served  the  present  age  as 
he  did  by  responding  to  the  numerous  calls  which  were  made 
upon  him.  He  was  in  favor  of  maintaining  a  high  standard 
of  education  for  those  who  were  preparing  for  the  ministry, 
and  during  four  successive  years  he  offered  the  sum  of  two 


25 

hundred  dollars  to  be  given  in  prizes  for  excellence  in  Semitic 
studies. 

As  a  man  Dr.  Peabody  was  genial  and  companionable,  and  a 
favorite  in  every  social  circle.  He  was  no  book-worm  or  re- 
cluse, but  he  enjoj'ed  society,  especially  the  meetings  of  the 
Boston  Wednesday  Evening  Club,  of  which  he  was  an  hono- 
rary member.  His  presence  was  often  desired  at  private  and 
public  celebrations,  and  he  generally  went,  and  added  much  to 
the  enjoyment  of  these  occasions.  On  meeting  others,  at  first 
he  was  reserved  and  reticent ;  but  when  a  subject  was  once 
started,  he  entered  into  it  with  animation  and  earnestness,  and 
poured  forth  his  rich  stores  of  information,  enlivened  often  with 
sparkling  reminiscence  and  spicy  anecdote,  which  gave  a  pecu- 
liar charm  to  his  conversation.  He  took  pleasure  in  listening 
to  a  good  story,  and  he  could  tell  many  a  good  one  himself. 
When  he  was  an  undergraduate,  the  system  prevailed  of  fining 
students  for  absence  from  prayers,  —  three  cents  being  ex- 
acted for  each  delinquency,  and  the  whole  amount  being 
charged  in  the  term  bill ;  and  Dr.  Peabody  relates  that  on 
one  occasion  a  member  of  his  class,  after  an  absence  in  his  first 
year,  was  notified  by  the  class  tutor  of  his  fine,  whereupon  he 
sent  him  a  dollar  bill  and  requested  change  ;  but  the  Fresh- 
man was  suspended.  Dr.  Peabody  was  faithful  and  true  to 
his  many  friends,  and  his  greetings  were  always  cordial,  for  his 
heart  went  with  his  hand.  But  his  most  beautiful  traits  were 
manifested  in  his  home.  Here  he  was  an  ideal  husband  and 
father,  and  the  best  he  had  he  lavished  on  those  who  were 
dearest  to  him.  He  loved  to  share  with  them  whatever  par- 
ticularly interested  him,  and  they  in  return  were  very  atten- 
tive and  devoted  to  him.  The  sharp  sorrows  which  he 
experienced  he  bore  with  Christian  faith  and  fortitude  ;  but 
the  world  did  not  know  their  bitterness,  for  he  did  not  relax 
his  work  or  refrain  from  the  performance  of  any  duty.  He  mar- 
ried, three  years  after  his  settlement  in  Portsmouth,  Catherine 

4 


26 

Whipple,  daughter  of  Edmund  Roberts  of  that  city,  who  died 
in  1869  ;  and  of  eight  children,  three  daughters  now  survive. 

But,  after  all.  Dr.  Peabody's  greatest  influence  was  exerted 
through  his  character.  He  inspired  men  by  what  he  was, 
more  than  by  what  he  taught.  In  his  presence  one  felt  that 
he  was  in  a  purer  atmosphere.  His  religion  was  not  some- 
thing apart  from  his  daily  life,  but  it  was  an  aroma  that  was 
perpetually  exhaled  from  it.  A  stranger  could  not  meet  hira 
and  converse  with  him  without  being  impressed  by  his  spiritual- 
ity and  goodness.  Benignity  was  written  on  his  countenance. 
He  had  a  profound  reverence  for  sacred  things,  and  he  was 
deeply  stirred  by  any  irreverence.  He  exhibited  great  firm- 
ness and  independence,  both  of  opinion  and  action.  He  had 
courage  to  condemn  openly  any  act  of  injustice  or  wrong,  and 
yet  he  was  simple  and  unassuming  as  a  child.  He  had  much 
shrewdness  and  worldly  wisdom,  and  could  readily  discern  the 
right  course  in  practical  matters.  His  thoughtful  and  refined 
courtesy  was  the  natural  expression  of  his  gracious  spirit.  He 
was  conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  little  duties,  was  seldom 
absent  from  the  meeting  of  any  society  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  and  was  prompt  in  keeping  his  appointments.  He 
had  great  sympathy  and  tenderness,  and  was  easily  moved, 
especially  on  occasions  of  solemnity  and  sorrow,  and  his  voice 
betrayed  his  emotions.  He  had  a  generous  estimate  of  others, 
and  preferred  to  see  their  excellences  rather  than  their  de- 
fects, and  in  his  biographical  sketches  he  said  that  he  knew 
not  how  to  paint  in  the  shadows.  He  was  never  satisfied  with 
simply  performing  the  duties  that  were  required  of  him.  He 
gave  freely  of  his  time  and  strength  to  others.  He  compressed 
the  work  of  three  or  four  lives  into  one,  and  kept  on  growing 
till  the  last  moment. 

Dr.  Peabody  was  noted  for  his  broad,  catholic,  unsectarian 
spirit.  He  had  his  own  decided  convictions,  but  he  appreciated 
the  worth  and  w^ork   of  those  who  differed  from  him.     He 


27 

recognized  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  wherever  they  were  mani- 
fested, and  he  rejoiced  to  feel  that  he  was  in  accord  with  all 
sincere  and  devout  persons  by  whatever  name  they  might  be 
called.  The  rector  of  an  Episcopal"  church  in  New  Jersey 
said  :  "  He  was  not  the  most  eloquent,  not  the  most  graceful, 
not  the  most  learned  man  in  the  world.  You  could  not  com- 
pare him  with  Isaiah  or  Paul.  But  you  could  not  help  likening 
him  to  Saint  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  who  was  so  near  to 
his  Master  that  he  imbibed  a  large  share  of  his  heavenly- 
mindedness.  Half  a  dozen  years  ago  it  fell  to  my  lot  to  read 
some  verses  in  response  to  a  toast  on  the '  Clerical  Sons  of 
the  University '  at  a  Harvard  Club  dinner  in  Chicago.  There 
were  churchmen  and  Roman  Catholics  and  Jews  and  men  of 
all  denominations  present  at  that  merry-making  ;  and  as  soon 
as  I  mentioned  the  name  of  this  plain,  modest,  unobtrusive 
man  of  God,  the  entire  company  rose  to  their  feet  and  gave 
nine  thundering  cheers.  It  was  no  tribute  to  the  verses 
nor  to  the  writer,  but  simply  the  just  honor  due  to  one 
whose  greatest  eulogy  is :  '  He  served  the  Lord  and  wrought 
righteousness.' " 

Dr.  Peabody's  ecclesiastical  relations  can  be  understood  from 
his  own  words.  In  1886  he  said  :  "  While  I  regard  the  portion 
of  the  Christian  Church  with  which  I  am  associated  as  my  re- 
ligious home,  in  which,  as  I  was  born  and  baptized  in  it,  I 
hope  to  stay  so  long  as  I  have  a  home  on  earth,  I  am  more 
and  more  impressed  with  the  belief  that  all  the  leading  sects 
of  Christendom  have  a  just  claim  on  our  regard  for  the  very 
dogmas  in  which  they  seem  most  to  differ  from  us  ;  for  there 
is  hardly  one  of  those  dogmas  which  is  not  the  maimed  or 
distorted  reflection  of  some  truth  which  we  neglect  or  ignore 
only  to  our  cost  and  detriment." 

Again  in  1889  he  wrote :  — 

"  Circumstances  have  placed  me  in  intimate  relations  with  many 
ministers  and  Christian  men  and  women  of  all  our  leading  denomina- 


UCSB  LIBRARY 


28 

tions,  and  I  am  fully  convinced  that  there  is  among  the  various  por- 
tions of  the  church  a  much  more  nearly  equable  distribution  of  God's 
choicest  gifts  than  bigoted  sectarians  are  willing  to  admit.  I  have  in 
uo  quarter  of  the  church  failed  to  find  many  whom  I  could  both  ad- 
mire and  love.  Yet,  were  I  to  select  special  models  as  Christians 
and  ministers,  I  should  not  need  to  look  beyond  the  pale  of  those 
ministers  of  our  faith  whom  I  learned  to  love  and  honor  in  my  youth, 
and  whose  memory  is  among  the  blessed  and  priceless  privileges  of  my 
old  age." 

During  Dr.  Peabody's  residence  in  Cambridge  he  came  in 
contact  with  thousands  of  students,  and  touched  more  lives 
than  could  be  reached  by  a  minister  of  the  largest  city  parish. 
The  remembrance  of  him  in  the  University  which  he  loved, 
and  which  he  served  so  long,  cannot  pass  away  ;  but  he  will 
be  associated  with  Harvard  as  Mark  Hopkins,  who  was  his 
intimate  friend,  is  associated  with  Williams  College,  and  as 
Theodore  D.  Woolsey  and  Francis  Way  land  are  associated 
with  Yale  and  Brown  Universities.  And  when  we  call  to 
mind  the  literary,  religious,  educational,  philanthropic  insti- 
tutions and  societies  with  which  he  has  been  identified,  the 
memorials  that  have  been  erected  in  his  honor,  and  the  imper- 
ishable monument  which  he  has  built  by  the  influence  he  has 
exerted  on  individuals  and  the  community,  we  may  apply  to 
him  the  words  of  the  Latin  poet,  — 

"  Ergo  etiam,  cum  me  supremus  adederit  ignis, 
Vivam  :  parsque  mei  multa  superstes  erit." 


■V-r-..l? 


